Interestingly after the DMK came to power in the state no action has been taken to remove these companies or to allow other companies manufacturing similar products for the purchase of retro-reflective stickers.

 

Retro-reflector is a surface that reflects light back to its source with minimum scattering. These are used on vehicles like trucks and are useful to prevent night time mishaps.

 

The AIADMK government had ordered that the mandatory, retro-reflective stickers for trucks be purchased only from two companies while there were eight companies in the state that manufacture the same type of product. The DMK had then alleged the state transport department led by M.R. Vijayabhaskar was forcing the truck operators to purchase retro-reflective stickers from these two companies only while the six other companies were also approved by the Union government.

 

The truck owners and the DMK had alleged that these companies were charging Rs 2500 more than what was charged by other companies for retro-reflective stickers. There are 4.5 lakh trucks in Tamil Nadu and the DMK alleged huge corruption by the then transport minister and the AIADMK in the deal.

 

However, the truck owners association alleged that the DMK has been continuing with the same policy ever since it assumed office and that all the statements by M.K. Stalin while in opposition have remained just statements.

 

M. Venkitachalam, President, All India Motor Transport Congress, Tamil Nadu, told IANS, "The Union ministry for road transport and highways after responding to our pleas had confirmed that stickers bought from any of the authorized companies are valid for getting the license but even now after assuming power the DMK government has not done anything to change it."

 

Lorry owners said that other than these two companies, the names of other companies do not appear on the website for uploading the photo taken after affixing these stickers. A truck owner who did not want to be named told IANS that each truck owner has to shell out an extra Rs 2500 for purchasing stickers from these companies and with all the 4.5 lakh trucks to affix these stickers mandatorily to get the road license, huge corruption would have taken place.

 

While the DMK government had ordered an inquiry by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption against M.R. Vijayabhaskar, and raids were conducted at several of his premises including his residence, the promise made by the DMK while in opposition remains unfulfilled.

 

Arunachalam Chettiyar, a truck operator who has a fleet of 12 trucks at Namakkal in Tamil Nadu, told IANS, "There is no justification for this and the DMK government must keep its promise made before the elections. These two companies are charging heavily for the stickers and we are losing money unnecessarily. The government must act and prevent such extortion from the public."